Conversion of data between different file formats is desirable in a wide variety of computing environments. For example, conversion of information between two different database formats is often highly desirable for synchronization of data. For individual users, synchronization of data between PDA's and desktop computers is an obvious example. For business users, synchronization of data between files created by different software on the same network, or between programs running on mainframes, on the one hand, and programs running on Windows computers, on the other, are examples. A further example is the conversion of video between different data formats.